


Turtletopia

by crazycatlady713



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Childhood Sweethearts, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Turtlecest, Young Love, Young Turtles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-27 23:04:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2709959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazycatlady713/pseuds/crazycatlady713
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Hamato clan unhappily begin the process of finding a new lair, Leonardo uncovers something he once thought lost. As he gazes upon it, the true meaning of home becomes suddenly apparent. (Written for the DA group ABC Challenge, with the prompt being "T for Tents.")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turtletopia

He stands just within the lair's entrance surveying their former palace, their shared fortress of solitude. At the dresser drawers now standing empty and the walls completely bare, at the boxes labeled "keep" and "donate" in his neat, flowing script with black marker. He doesn't want to leave, none of them do, but the lair's whereabouts have simply been compromised far too many times for them to feel safe here any longer.

"A home is not a _place_ , Leonardo," Splinter patiently explains. "A home is comprised of the people whom we love and who love us in return. As long as we are together, anywhere is home."

He knows his master is right of course, but he will miss it all the same. He glides a calloused hand across a wall and imagines each brick in this sacred domain is a memory they've shared, made wholly tangible. Stacked one atop the other in order to protect them and keep them safe from the harsh realities of the world above, secure within the confines of their own enduring love. He knows that the genius loci that inhabits this hallowed place is indeed a benevolent one, and wonders if it will miss them as well.

And now he is faced with the unenviable task of having to clear out the trunk at the end of his bed, the receptacle of all his most treasured memories. He must decide what will make the journey to their new residence and what will be dropped off at the second hand shop, for not everything can come with them. It's not exactly _Sophie's Choice_ per se, but the thought of having to sift through sixteen years of cherished belongings is a daunting one nonetheless.

He takes a deep, calming breath and says aloud the old Buddhist axiom that attachment to material possessions is the root of suffering. Opening the trunk's battered old lid, he gets to work.

He unearths his very first calligraphy set as well as a stack of papers, upon which the sloppy beginnings of his beloved pastime are laid bare. He rifles through the papers and can see the lack of confidence in his early work, and smiles as he recalls Splinter gently advising him to clear his mind and just let the letters flow of their own accord. With a heavy heart, he ultimately decides to part with the entire lot. Hopefully, they will be of use to someone else.

He pulls free a pair of bokken next, chipped in places but still usable. He remembers fondly practicing with them day and night, determined to become the greatest ninja the world has ever seen. He has no need for them any longer, however. They have served their purpose well and he hugs them to his plastron for a brief moment, thanking them for their service before placing them in the "donate" box. He hopes another aspiring ninja will come across them, and they will serve him or her just as well.

Near the bottom of the trunk is a bedsheet folded into a neat square. White with blue stripes, it has begun to yellow at the edges and smells faintly of mildew. He holds it up before him with a discerning eye, a fine art connoisseur contemplating a masterpiece. It is this particular item that holds the sweetest memory of all - that of his first kiss.

***

They were young, and Splinter had been reading _Swiss Family Robinson_ aloud to them. They enjoyed it immensely and were besotted with the idea of having an entire island all their own, just the five of them living in a tropical paradise where they could surf and swim, play in the sunshine and simply be themselves.

He cannot remember who initially made the suggestion, but they all quickly agreed that it was a good one; They decided to make their own little sprawling island "treehouse," complete with a library, bedrooms, and a lab for Donnie.

Never one to undertake a project half-assed, the purple-clad genius quickly wrote up blueprints for their quixotic enterprise and determined that the best materials would be sheets and blankets. Easy to acquire and quick to dismantle, should Splinter decide he had enough of them obstructing the flow of traffic in the living room. They immediately stripped their beds of the required components and were pleased to see even Splinter was supportive of their endeavor, donating his own fur-strewn comforter to the cause.

"Guys, be gentle with those broomsticks!" Donnie barked, pleased to be in a position of leadership and reveling in the opportunity to dole out orders. "We need those to keep the sheets propped up!"

He was the perfect foreman and directed the construction with the utmost ease; before too long the living room looked like Woodstock, blanket tents covering every square inch of floorspace and overtaking every stick of furniture in the vicinity. With walls made of couch cushions and Christmas lights festooning the outer perimeter, they congratulated each other on a job well done. There was only one thing left to do - they had to name their little tent metropolis.

"Tortoise Town!" Raphael gleefully called out.

"Nah," Leo said, shaking his head. "How 'bout Turtletopia?"

"...What's wrong with Tortoise Town?" Raph asked, narrowing his eyes at his sibling.

Mikey and Donnie looked to each other and rolled their eyes, positive that yet another full scale blowout was looming just over the horizon. Neither made a move to separate the two. They had already learned it was an exercise in futility.

"Well for one thing, we aren't even tortoises. We're turtles."

"Pssh. Whatever, _Leo_." Raph said, crossing his arms. "You just always gotta knock me down. You think I'm so stupid."

"I never said that, Raph!" Leo protested. "We'll just call it Tortoise Town then, you don't have to cry about it."

"I'm not crying, you stupid dumpster baby!"

Raph shoved Leo as hard as he could then, sending him flying into the nearest tent and flattening it instantly. He stalked off to his own room and slammed the door angrily behind him, an occurrence the others have become all too familiar with.

The remaining brothers, determined to enjoy their handiwork to the fullest, set about allocating a purpose to each tent. They each chose a bedroom, equipped the library with a stack of beloved classics, and feasted on s'mores in the dining tent. The sad remains of the last tent, it's life cut tragically short during Raph's temper tantrum, could be his.

Leo lay in his own tent later that night, staring up at the blue-and-white-striped ceiling unable to sleep. Peals of riotous laughter could be heard through the pillow and bedsheet walls, as Mikey and Donnie joked and caroused well past their designated bedtime. Though they each had a tent of their own, Mikey crawled into Donnie's after not too long.

They were each seldom seen without the other, as inseparable then as they are now. Though it would still be quite some before they would all assemble in the living room at Donnie's behest, where he and Mikey would come out to the rest of the family with downcast eyes and stooped shoulders, terrified they would be rejected. Before Splinter took both his sons in his arms and told them he loves and accepts them no matter what - here, they are still children, and desperately in love though neither of them realized it just yet. Leo could see it though, and couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of jealousy. He wished he could laugh as freely with Raph as _they_ did with each other, joke with him and cuddle beside him without it being weird. He wondered if there would always be this wall between them and then, as if in response to his musings, the makeshift doorway rustled and in crawled the hothead.

"Hey Leo, you up?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I'm up. You still mad at me?"

"Nah. I just wanted to say, um..." Unable to look his brother in the eyes, he said in a barely audible voice, "...I'm sorry."

Leo beheld a look of genuine contrition in those lovely emerald eyes, and simply couldn't resist having a little fun with him.

"What's that?" he asked, trying to hide the smile that danced on his lips. "I couldn't quite catch that last part."

"I _said_ , I'm sorry," he repeated with a sigh.

"...What?"

"Leo!"

"Heh, I'm just messing with you. Oh! By the way, I saved you one." With that, Leo reached for a s'more he made earlier, wrapped securely in a napkin. "They were really good! I kind of figured you'd want one."

Raph's eyes lit up at the sight of the time-honored campsight staple, and he practically inhaled it. Milk chocolate oozed down his fingers as he ate, prompting him to lick each one clean afterwards. Crumbs still clung to his chin.

"Mmm, that _was_ good," he agreed. "You really didn't have to save it for me, though. I mean, I was a real asshole to you before."

"Yeah, you were," Leo responded, nodding his head. "But it's ok."

"No, it's not. It's _not_ ok. It's just...I dunno." He flopped onto his carapace and placed an arm over his eyes, clearly in distress. "It's just that I get so mad when you don't listen to me and you always gotta find a problem with whatever I do. I know that's no excuse and I need to control my anger like Splinter says, but I just really want you to respect me and like me and stuff."

This was a side of Raphael they very rarely saw, if at all. He was not one to talk of his feelings, and certainly not to Leo. The fearless one felt somewhat honored by this revelation, and urged to hear more.

"Raph," he said softly, "just 'cause we disagree sometimes doesn't mean I don't respect you or I don't like you. I do respect you quite a bit actually, even when you get pissed and attack me. And I love you. No matter what."

"...Really?" Raph said, letting his arm drop.

The soft luminance from the Christmas lights shone upon his face, making it appear as though he glowed from within. He looked so much younger, Leo thought, and so vulnerable. He so seldom allowed the facade to drop, and Leo could finally see why; He was afraid. He wanted so badly to take him in his arms then and reassure him, tell him he didn't need to be the badass all the time.

He wanted to kiss him.

He knew Raph wouldn't go for that however, would probably punch him in the face and the mask would go right back on. He'd never again be able to steal a peek beneath it after that and the real Raph, the sweet boy who just wanted to be loved, the one who cursed and fought and sulked all alone in his room not because he thought he was above it all but because he feared rejection so intensely - would be lost to him forever.

"Really."

And Raph was on him suddenly, his lips pressed awkwardly to his and his hands, trembling like leaves, sought Leo's. Leo offered no resistance and allowed Raph to pull him in closer, the beating of their hearts reaching a frenzied crescendo. His lips still tasted sweetly of chocolate and marshmallow.

They pulled apart just as abruptly, Raph's eyes as wide as a deer's in the headlights of an oncoming 18-wheeler. Leo didn't know what to say, was too fearful to say anything lest the wrong thing prompt Raph to bolt in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," Raph said finally, his face downcast and his voice tremulous. "I don't even know why I did that. I..."

"Don't be sorry," Leo interrupted with a smile. "I liked it."

Giggling could be heard a few feet away then, and Raph's face screwed up in disgust.

"The hell's so damn funny!?" he called out, pulling his hands free from Leo's with a swift jerk.

"Your face!" Mikey called back, eliciting more giggles from his other half.

Raph avoided Leo's eyes as he made to leave the tent, muttering under his breath.

"Wait! Don't go," Leo implored, grabbing his hand. "Just ignore them. Please?"

He stopped, but did not turn around. He seemed to be weighing his options, wondering which was the best course of action to take. Leo waited patiently, noting as he did that Raph had not shaken him off. He took that as a good sign.

He turned around finally, his brilliant green eyes glistening with unshed tears. Leo did not bring attention to them. He simply pulled Raph to him and hugged him.

"I respect you too, Leo," he whispered into his ear. "And I...I love you, too."

"I know," Leo responded, patting him gently on the back.

 

***

It certainly wasn't the best kiss he'd ever received, nor even the most passionate. It was however, the most special. And it most definitely wasn't the last.

He looks back on that night, on that kiss, on the look of unfettered joy in his beloved's abyssal and jewel toned eyes, and knows that that moment is etched forever in stone in this place, an unseen series of hieroglyphics. Long after they have packed up and left it will be here still, an everlasting testament to their boundless love. He looks forward to building new memories in their new home, a place that will surely be as welcoming and warm as this one.

He refolds the sheet carefully and caresses it, before placing it gently in the "keep" box.


End file.
